1) What is PRIMM?
PRIMM stands for 5 stages in teaching programming, of Predict, Run, Investigate, Modify and Make. In PRIMM, these stages are taught in sequence. Each of these stages is based on underpinning research. Some of this research is from university studies, some from teaching younger learners, but all of it is very well-regarded work. For example, the predict and run stages build on research that shows that novice programmers need to learn to read code before they can write it.
2) What are the stages of PRIMM?
The stages are:
| Predict |
Learners are shown a sample program, they independently or in pairs,
read the code and predict what it will do when it is run. The learners are
asked to record their prediction, e.g. by writing it down or drawing what
they think will happen. |
| Run |
Learners are given the sample program to run. They run the program and see if their prediction was correct. Often at this point, there are discussions about what surprised them or what happened as expected. |
| Investigate |
Learners are given a set of questions or short tasks to help them investigate important ideas in the program. Learners complete the tasks and record their findings. The investigate tasks might be for learners to add comments to the code, to explore aspects of the code, and even to make specific changes to see what happens. |
| Modify |
Learners are asked to take the program and make it their own, they are asked to change it to do something different. For example, they could change the context and questions for a quiz, from say a history quiz to a geography quiz. |
| Make |
Learners use what they have learned to make something new. For example, they might have learned about using if statements (selection) in quiz context and then use this to make an interactive animation. |
3) How long does a PRIMM sequence take?
In the secondary PRIMM research, some PRIMM sequences took a long 90-minute lesson, others took
three or more hour-long lessons. This was dependent on the teacher who delivered the lessons,
what they focused on and on the learners themselves. We have created two example Barefoot PRIMM
lesson plans based on the original Crystal Flowers resource. You can use these to show you how to
integrate PRIMM into your teaching.
4) Where do the sample programs come from?
The teacher who creates a PRIMM sequence creates the sample program. The teacher chooses a concept
(or set of concepts) that they want pupils to learn about and creates a well-written example that showcases
these. For example, if you wanted your pupils to learn about if statements (selection) and asking and
answering questions, you might choose a quiz or an interactive animation as your context. Suppose you
wanted your pupils to learn about repetition; in that case, you might create a sample program that
draws shapes or that animates a character performing a PE routine.
5) Where do the investigate questions and tasks come from?
The teacher who creates the PRIMM sequence creates the investigate tasks. These tasks might include
a question about the type of programming construct that is being used and ask pupils to spot it in the
program. For example, find the if statement (selection) and highlight it (if the code is printed) or add
a comment to show where it is in an online example. There might be a task to change a significant aspect
of a command in the program. For example, in a repeat loop, the pupils might be asked to change the
number of times the loop runs and to then see what the effect is.
6) What about modify and make stages? How do you decide what to ask pupils to do for these?
As with the earlier stages, the teacher who creates the PRIMM activity thinks what will help their learners
to gain a deeper understanding of the concepts they are teaching. For example, in a modify activity
where students are learning about selection statements, the teacher might ask students to change
this aspect, by introducing a new context. The students can keep the general structure in the sample
program but need to change the details. In the make, the teacher is looking for another context in which
the students can apply their new skills. Sometimes the Modify of PRIMM develops into a longer Make.
But we need to do more research to look at the impact of this.
To try a PRIMM lesson sequence, try the Barefoot PRIMM Crystal Flowers activity; PRIMM 1, PRIMM 2 which you will find under lessons in the resources section of the website. Barefoot have converted the original Crystal Flowers lesson to follow the PRIMM stages. More research is needed to study PRIMM in primary, but we think there is much to gain from trying it out with your class.
If you would like to find out more about PRIMM, look at Sue Sentences blog on PRIMM [2] or at her
website on PRIMM [3] or read one of the research papers on PRIMM [1].
References
1 Teachers’ Experiences of using PRIMM to Teach Programming in School, 2019 (opens in a new window), Sentence S., Waite J., and Kalia M. SIGCSE ‘19: Proceedings of the 50th ACM Technical Symposium on Computer Science Education February 2019 Pages 476–482
2 PRIMM: a structured approach to teaching programming, 2017 King’s College London Computer Science Education Blog,
3 Sue Sentance’s Website with pages on PRIMM (opens in a new window)